Originally Posted by
notquiteaff
I don’t often experience credit card fraud, but last week Chase asked me about a suspicious transaction on my Ink Preferred card and indeed it was an attempt at fraud. And today a JRC Shinkansen charge was deemed suspicious on my CSR card (and again Chase was right). So two of my travel cards now will be replaced, fortunately a few weeks before the next trip. A good reminder why it’s important to travel with plenty of credit cards.
Anyone else seen an uptick of card fraud?
Myself, personally? Yes. But, all my accounts of all kinds including non bank accounts (HSA provider, Ebay, Steam, iTalki, AAdvantage, Facebook ) have been hit since my info got posted on the Dark Web in late 2024. I know it was the Dark Web because I kept getting notices at login, that my personal info was found on the Dark Web and they suggested I change my login password in all instances. Of course, I did that and I still get those notifications, even after changing my passcode three times.
I had no idea how my info was leaked onto the Dark Web, and NOBODY at any CS department of the affected accounts would offer any hint of how it happened. AMEX stateside reps were particularly inept and I ended up closing all my AMEX accounts. Then l I spoke to a helpful rep at AAdvantage (some had used my miles to book a flight from ACC-EWR) . She flat-out said it was a
Google Chrome breach, that was due to a flaw/vulnerability in Chrome. There have been at least two more Chrome breaches since then. But, I have switched to Firefox, and use double authentication in almost everything now. I do NOT save my password to any site. Apparently, that's how someone got into my iTalki account last October (which I hadn't used in over a year) and ran up $550 in a digital gift card purchases. And that's where Chase comes in.
Chase quickly sent me a message asking if I made the purchase, and when I answered NO, they canceled the card and sent me a new one. Problem was, I was in THAILAND when that happened and I wouldn't be back home for another six weeks. So, yes
you should carry plenty of credit cards when you travel. I was able to fall back on my C1 Miles card, which I leave hidden in my suitcase as opposed to carrying in my wallet. But, yes Chase does notify you of a suspicious charge before they cancel your card. They've done it twice for my CSP, already.
FUN FACT: All Capital One cards are free of Foreign Transaction Fees. I confirmed that with their CS. That might be off-topic to this forum, but it's noteworthy for overseas travelers. I love my Chase Unlimited Rewards, but it does assess a FTF, so it's not good for foreign travel.
I hope this info helps, even if this post was a bit long. I had too many bad experiences, and I'd prefer it not to happen to you.